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David Ortiz targeted for Red Sox return Friday, will need days off

David Ortiz

Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz laughs while talking with former teammate and current New York Yankee, Kevin Youkilis during the eighth inning of an opening day baseball game, Monday, April 1, 2013, in New York. Boston won 8-2. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

CLEVELAND — David Ortiz got back into game action Tuesday with Triple-A Pawtucket after missing two straight games, the first because of illness and the second because of left heel soreness.

He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, making him 3-for-11 in three rehab games.

Ortiz on Tuesday morning told reporters in Pawtucket the left-heel situation was minor. The right heel has been most problematic for Ortiz and is the heel that brought him to the disabled list.

"The trainers weren't worried about it," Ortiz said. "They thought it was something minor they needed to work on to loosen up. They told me pretty much not to worry about.

"They worked on it, and today I feel better. As long as it's not in the right leg, it'll be fine. That's what they basically told me."

Sox manager John Farrell said Tuesday that Ortiz is expected back Friday. Ortiz said in Pawtucket that was his expectation as well.

"At this point yes we do," Farrell said on MLB Network Radio, then reiterated in his usual pre-game press conference later. "Last night, he's riding thee stationary bike and he was doing some running right before game time, and he felt like a spasm, some soreness in his heel. … We felt like it was just a one-day thing, a one-day incident, it's by no means related to the Achilles injury of a year ago."

Ortiz won't be able to play every game, though, upon his return. The Sox will ease him back in.

"What is the appropriate volume, it's not so much (a matter of the number of at-bats in an individual game)," Farrell said. "It's the consecutive days played, or how many out of five is a realistic number starting out."